In message , Owdboggy
writes

Jessiskaskaska;921099 Wrote:
So, I went into my garden about half an hour ago and came across what I
can only describe as a Giant Dandelion... it has a dandelion head about
2cm across, and large dandelion leaves... the difference to all of the
other ones I've seen is that it has a stalk over a metre high that its
about 2cm thick. Can anyone tell me what it is? I live in the north-west
of england if that helps?

There are a fair number of Dandelion like seed heads on tall plants with
Dandelion like leaves. Possibly this is Goat's Beard. Cannot remember
the proper name for it.

Goatsbeard is Tragopogon pratensis. This is not goatsbeard, which has a
couple of distinctive points - the rather grass-like leaves, and the
involucral bracts exceeding the capitulum. (Salsify (Tragopogon
porrifolius) is rather similar to goatsbeard, but has purple flowers.)

The whole group of plants is the tribe Cichorieae or Lactucae. Prickly
lettuce, wall lettuce and nipplewort can get quite big, but have small
flower heads. Catsear can have tall stems, but only has a rosette of
leaves. Plants more similar to the photograph include hawksbeards and
hawkweeds, as well as the sow thistles.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley